Mercedes benz station wagon models

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4MATIC

July 18, 2017 – 04:22 pm

“Almost” rarely feels this good. The 49ers almost turned Super Bowl XLVII around. Commissioner Gordon almost saved Batman’s girlfriend. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG’s S model offers almost 600 horsepower, but we bet few people are terribly disappointed that it’s actually 23 shy. And with 590 lb-ft of torque testing the traction limits on all four tires, it’s hard to feel anything but a giddy sense of awe.

That’s right, four tires. To route that much energy to just the rear 285/35-19s might test not only their traction limits but also the boundaries of good sense. Because near-600-horse executive sedans are nothing if not sensible, all-wheel drive is now standard on base and S versions of the 2014 E63 AMG. Its official name is now E63 AMG 4MATIC. Here, the system defaults to a 33/67-percent front-to-rear torque split, although it can send a maximum of 70 percent to either end. It adds 154 pounds—less than Quattro adds to an A6 or xDrive to a 5-series.

Ensuring a lifetime of punishment for the all-wheel-drive system is AMG’s twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8. Engine-management tweaks bump the base car’s output from last year’s 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft to 550 and 531. Mercedes previously offered a $7300 AMG Performance package on the E63 for power brokers. That’s now called the AMG S model, which cranks up the boost from 13.0 psi to 14.5 to yield the previously mentioned 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. A limited-slip differential is standard on the S (it’s optional on the E63 AMG), where it was deemed necessary to handle the additional twist. In a masterstroke of customer understanding, Mercedes will offer E63 wagon buyers—i.e., enlightened lunatics—only the higher-output tune.